Two celebrities over the weekend denied ever uttering two provocatively un-patriotic sounding comments attributed to them.
Actor Alec Baldwin told Cable News Network’s (CNN) Judy Woodruff that he never said he'd leave the country if George W. Bush became President, insisting that “I have never seen one person produce one audio clip or one video clip or one piece of evidence that I ever made that statement,” and actor Danny Glover assured Fox News Channel’s (FNC) Rita Cosby that he had not charged that the U.S. “is a purveyor of violence” in its war on terrorism.
In fact, back in September of 2000, FNC showed a clip of Baldwin parsing his words: “I think my exact comment was that if Bush won it would be a good time to leave the United States. I'm not necessarily going to leave the United States.”
Last fall, a newspaper quoted Glover condemning the United States: “One of the main purveyors of violence in this world has been this country, whether it's been against Nicaragua, Vietnam or wherever.” He also called on the U.S. to not kill Osama bin Laden.
Woodruff interviewed Baldwin in Orlando, Florida over the weekend where Baldwin spoke at the Florida Democratic Party's convention. He declared: “I am a hope-to-die, carry-me-out-in-a-box Democrat.” Inside Politics on Monday featured excerpts from Woodruff's interview, including the following:
Woodruff: “You have not only been critical at points. You said some pretty tough things about George W. Bush. And the Republicans have made note of this. At one point, you were quoted as saying that you'd leave the country if George Bush were elected.”
Baldwin: “Right. And I am glad you asked that question, because, you know, to this day, I have never seen one person produce one audio clip or one video clip or one piece of evidence that I ever made that statement, because I never made that statement, never.”
Well, not so fast. While it is true that the story about him leaving the U.S. if Bush won came second hand from his wife in a story published in a German magazine. After it caused commotion in September of 2000, FNC's Brit Hume played this non-denial sound bite from Baldwin: “I think my exact comment was that if Bush won it would be a good time to leave the United States. I'm not necessarily going to leave the United States.”
Off-camera female reporter: “You're not really going anywhere.”
Baldwin: “I might go on a long vacation.”
A September 17 AP dispatch from Munich announced: “Baldwins Will Leave if Bush Wins.” The story read, in full:
“If George W. Bush wins the U.S. presidential election this November, he may not be the only one moving into a new house. Kim Basinger said her husband, actor and Democratic party activist Alec Baldwin, was serious when he said he would leave the United States if the Republican wins.'Alec is the biggest moralist that I know,' she was quoted as saying in Focus magazine, which hits newsstands Monday. 'He stands completely behind what he says.' Asked if she'd move with him, Basinger said: 'I can very well imagine that Alec makes good on his threat. And then I'd probably have to go too.'”
On FNC's FoxWire at 10pm EDT on Sunday night, during an interview pegged to the actor's fundraising for AIDS research, Rita Cosby raised a controversial past comment with Glover, an exchange taken down by MRC analyst Patrick Gregory.
Cosby: “Now you've also been critical of some other U.S. policies, particularly our war against terror. You've said quote ‘that the U.S. is a purveyor of violence.' What did you mean by that?”
Danny Glover: “I did not say that; I quoted Martin Luther King. Martin Luther King said in his speech 'a time to end the silence' in 1968 that he meant that, that he said that about the U.S., and I did quote Martin Luther King.”
Cosby: “Did you think that the attacks on Afghanistan were justified?
Glover : “That's not the question that I really want to deal with at this particular point in time, because the issue of AIDS far outdistances the issue of what I feel about war in general. I'm principally against any kind of conflict and for finding ways in which we can deal with the conflicts through ways which are, through negotiation and reconciliation.”
Cosby: “Were you surprised though, because some people have come out recently and made some comments and been upset with some of the things you've said, saying we shouldn't have attacked Afghanistan, that Bin Laden shouldn't receive the death penalty, are you surprised?”
Glover: “Excuse me, you know one of the things that I talked about, I came there, I was invited to Princeton University to talk about the death penalty. I am a staunch opponent of the death penalty, and I have been more years than I've realized it, and I've stayed, I'm pretty consistent with my principle behind the issues around the death penalty, and that's what my speech was about. I in no way used that opportunity and have anytime used any avenue that I've talked at to talk about the war in Afghanistan, at no time.”
In fact, at least according to a November 16, 2001 Trentonian story, Glover argued that Osama bin Laden should not be killed:
“Movie star Danny Glover, known for his brutal gunplay in the Lethal Weapon movie series, last night called on the U.S. to spare the life of Osama bin Laden. As guest speaker at an anti-death penalty forum at Princeton University, Glover said America was the one to blame for bombing and terror around the world.'Yes — Yes!' Glover said when asked if American forces should spare the Saudi terrorist's life.'When I say the death penalty is inhumane. I mean [it's inhumane] whether that person is in a bird cage [jail] or its bin Laden.'”
The paper further quoted Glover as declaring: “One of the main purveyors of violence in this world has been this country, whether it's been against Nicaragua, Vietnam or wherever.”
For more from the Trentonian story, Click here
(This update courtesy of the Media Research Center.)